The Remnant

We got another great message from our pastor on Sunday. He was speaking about how God always leaves a portion of His people, Israel, remaining after He has punished them for their disobedience. The Bible calls them "a remnant."

"In that day the remnant of Israel, the survivors of Jacob, will no longer rely on him who struck them down but will truly rely on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. 21 A remnant will return, a remnant of Jacob will return to the Mighty God. 22 Though your people be like the sand by the sea, Israel, only a remnant will return." - Isaiah 10:20-22

I think that when God mentions something four times in the span of three verses, He wants us to remember something.

The word remnant means "something left over, a remainder, a piece of fabric remaining after the rest has been used or sold."

The best example of a remnant that I can think of is a quilt. My grandmother used to make them out of small pieces of leftover fabric. Little scarps of leftover cloth, turned into something beautiful.

That's what God was talking about in Isaiah 10. Not scarps of fabric but a salvage portion of His people.

When we look at the world today with all of its craziness we wonder why God would leave even a few people remaining after the coming judgement. But He will. He has promised that in His Word.

"Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: 3 “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” 

“These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." - Revelation 7:2-3 & 14

Once again, God will save a remnant. They will have the seal of God on their foreheads. Do you believe in Jesus? Have you been sealed? Although God is talking specifically about Jewish believers in the last days, He has offered salvation to anyone who believes.

"And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’: - Acts 2:21

Only a remnant of people will be saved at the end. It will be their choice, not God's. We are the ones who must choose. Will we choose life? Only a remnant will. And God will make something beautiful out of His remnants.